Dedicated young soldier destined for great
things within the Gurkha Rifles. Published Date: 19/07/2010
(Portadown Times)

Lieutenant Neal Turkington was born in Portadown - he
was educated at Portadown College - and was soon to celebrate his 27th
birthday. In a statement released on the Ministry of Defence website, it
reveals that after graduating from Imperial College London Neal attended
the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst from 2007. He was commissioned into
1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles in August 2008 and went on to
successfully complete the Platoon Commanders' Battle Course in Brecon,
South Wales.

His first appointment at regimental duty took him
to the jungles of Brunei where he quickly settled in at the helm of 2
Platoon within A (Delhi) Company. Having settled in to regimental life
in Brunei, Lieutenant Turkington continued his Gurkha education by
attending the mandatory three months of language study in Pokhara,
Western Nepal. A keen adventurer and traveller, he found many
similarities between the foothills of the Himalayas and the other parts
of the world which he travelled to so frequently, notably South America.

At the end of the language training he conducted a
memorable trek through Nepal in support of the Gurkha Welfare Trust and
perfected the art of speaking Nepali with a Northern Irish accent. On
returning to Brunei Lieutenant Turkington turned his attention back to a
profession that he showed a real zeal for. The demanding jungle of
Brunei was the perfect environment for this passionate infanteer.
He had the highest expectations of himself and his platoon, to whom he
dedicated himself wholeheartedly.

Lieutenant Turkington relished the intellectual
challenges of infantry command as much as the physical. Ambitious for
his platoon, he was constantly challenging accepted practices in order
to improve himself and his team, a trait that bore real fruits in the
initial three months in Afghanistan. Lieutenant Turkington was in his
element as a junior commander and leader in Afghanistan. The time and
effort that he had dedicated to his soldiers over the previous two years
was paying dividends every day in the toughest of environments.

Under his command 2 Platoon had been playing a key
role in the complex counter insurgency campaign that A (Delhi) Company
are engaged in. He understood it and ensured that each of his soldiers
did too. In the early stages of this operational tour he had shown
himself to be a decisive leader with a strong will; the boys followed
him and would do so again and again through the most testing of
situations.

Outside of his military life Neal had dedicated so
much time to other people. He was a humanitarian at heart, except in the
boxing ring, and this was shown through a charity that he and friends
had established in South America. The statement added that both in and
out of work he was a professional of the highest standards, a leader of
his generation.

Lt Turkington's family said, "We are devastated
with the news of Neal's death . "One of Neal's proudest moments was
hearing that he had been commissioned to join the Royal Gurkha Rifles
Regiment. "He felt honoured and privileged to serve with such
distinguished, courageous and loyal men. "Neal was jovial, kind,
considerate and loyal to his family and friends. Our family were
inspired by his presence, and generosity. "He was relentless and
steadfast in his pursuit of those causes he believed in with his passion
for making a difference whatever the circumstance. "We are all so proud
of him – we couldn't have asked for a finer son, brother and friend."

Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Strickland MBE,
Commanding Officer 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, Combined
Forces Nahr-e-Saraj South said, "Lieutenant Neal Turkington was cruelly
taken from us in his prime, gunned down as he took his turn on duty in
the Company Operations Room. "He was a courageous and determined platoon
commander - a man who could be trusted."